“It’ll be okay.” Dani patted her hand, then spoke into her cell. She passed on the lack of info about the spare, along with the make, model, and age of the vehicle. Once she disconnected, she said, “They’re super busy because of the storm, but the technician promised that he’ll be here in thirty to forty-five minutes. An hour at the most. He’ll bring a tire with him to replace the flat, but he said you’ll need to get a whole new set before you drive any distance.”
“You don’t have to wait.” Mrs. Carnet reached for the door handle. The older woman’s head was held high and her voice was steady. It was clear that she wasn’t the type who enjoyed sharing her troubles or accepting help. “I know you must be tired after cooking dinner for the Karneses.”
“I don’t mind.” Dani smiled reassuringly, hoping her exhaustion didn’t show. “Would you like something to eat while you wait? I have some sandwiches and fruit right here.”
“Well…” Mrs. Carnet hesitated. “If it’s no bother. I was so upset after Mrs. Bourne called and fired me that I forgot to have lunch or dinner.”
“No bother at all.” Dani reached behind her and grabbed an insulated bag and a couple bottles of water. “I like to have something available in case I’m starving after I finish cooking.”
“I understand completely.” Mrs. Carnet made a face. “The Bournes never allowed me to eat until they were finished. They didn’t care that while I was serving them and cleaning up, I was hungry too.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Dani chuckled. “Anymore, whenever I have a meal at a normal time, it almost seems as if I’m doing something wrong.”
As the women shared the food, Mrs. Carnet talked about working for the Bournes. She reminisced about all the years she’d been with them, then had to stop to wipe away a tear and compose herself.
After taking a long drink of water, Mrs. Carnet sighed. “I came to them just after Mrs. Bourne had Miss Regina. I took care of her more often than her mother. I was the one who did the potty training, helped her with her homework, and taught her to drive.”
“Why in the world did they let you go?” Dani asked softly. It seemed coldhearted to question the woman when she was so obviously distraught, but she really needed to know more about Regina and her family. “And to make you leave so quickly seems needlessly cruel.”
“They blame me for Miss Regina’s death.” Mrs. Carnet peeled the label off the water bottle and Dani noticed her unpolished fingernails had been chewed to the quick. “The Bournes said that I should have never left her alone. But it was supposed to be my day off. I only stayed as long as I did as a favor to Miss Regina, to make sure everything was in place for her party.” Mrs. Carnet’s lips thinned. “It was my sister’s sixtieth birthday and I had to postpone seeing her, but I promised her that I’d drive up to Chicago, spend the night with her, and that we’d celebrate with a fancy Sunday brunch.”
“It sounds to me as if you went above and beyond.” Dani frowned. “And Regina was certainly old enough to be left by herself overnight.” She wrinkled her brow, trying to recall if she’d seen Mrs. Carnet after the luau began. “What time did you leave the party?”
“I headed into the city as soon as I finished getting the bartenders situated,” Mrs. Carnet answered. “It must have been a little before seven because I was at my sister’s for the nine thirty news.”
“You were the one who found Regina, right?” Dani asked gently, hoping she wasn’t pushing the woman too far.
“Yes. I’ll never forget the moment when I realized she was unconscious.” Mrs. Carnet patted her chest, then fanned herself. “My sister and I had an early brunch and I got home about one. When I saw that Miss Regina was lying by the pool, I didn’t think anything of it. She spent a lot of time sunbathing out there. But when I went out to tell her I was back, I could tell something was wrong.”
“Oh?” Dani barely spoke, unwilling to interrupt Mrs. Carnet.
“There were empty plates and food wrappers all around her.” Mrs. Carnet’s breath hitched. “Miss Regina was—” Mrs. Carnet slapped a hand over her mouth and the crepey skin on her neck reddened. “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
Dani, finally putting together everything she’d observed and heard about the girl, said slowly, “I noticed that she didn’t eat much at the party, but a lot of hostesses are too wound up to eat. Then when she directed me to put food in the refrigerator that was not to be served under any circumstances, I thought it was odd but didn’t put two and two together. Although now that you mention how you found her…” Dani trailed off, then said, “Regina was bulimic, right?”
“Yes, she was.” Mrs. Carnet hung her head. “But Miss Regina hadn’t binged in quite a while, so I was surprised to see the mess.”
“Or maybe she’d just gotten better at hiding it from you,” Dani suggested.
“Maybe.” Mrs. Carnet bit her lip. “She’d had a couple of episodes where she was out of control and her parents threatened her with rehab.”
“Out of control with her eating?” Dani asked. Had the Bournes been concerned with the manuscript issue and the identity theft? “Or was there something more? Other issues that involved Regina?”
“There were a few things that concerned them,” Mrs. Carnet said under her breath. “But it doesn’t seem right to tell you about them.”
Dani could only push the woman so far. She didn’t want to burn any bridges. Maybe later, after Mrs. Carnet had
